1. Political Parties
Chapter 5

2. Parties and What They Do
Section 1
Parties and What They Do

3. What is a Party? A political party is…
a group of persons who seek to control the government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office.
a group of persons, joined together on the basis of certain principles, who seek to control government in order to secure the adoption of certain policies and programs.

4. Elements of Parties Parties are made up of three elements
The party organization
(people who run the party)
The party in government
(members of party who hold or run for office)
The party in the electorate
(individual citizens who hold membership in a political party)

5. Parties and Democracy
The link between the people and their government.
(some would argue they are the principle means by which the will of the people is made known to government.)
Political parties are “power brokers”
(encourage compromise between competing interests and help to unify the American people)
Soften the impact of extremists at both ends of the political spectrum.

6. What Parties Do Nominating Candidates
Parties find, recruit, and help candidates win elections
Informing and Activating Supporters
Campaigning, policy stands, criticizing opponents. (parties seek to win elections)
The “Bonding Agent” Function
ensures the qualifications and character of candidates and officeholders.
Governing
Partisanship and Compromise
The “Watchdog” Function
Criticizing the party in power.

7. The Two-Party System
Republicans and Democrats dominate politics in the United States.
Only the Republicans and Democrats have a reasonable chance of winning elections.

8. Reasons for the Two Party System
Historical Basis of Two Party System
Framers were opposed to political parties
Ratification leads to the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Tradition and the Two Party System
Over time parties have reinforced their importance
The Electoral System
Single-member districts (plurality and winner take all features)
Dominant parties work to keep out minor parties in elections
Ideological Consensus
While America is pluralistic there is broad consensus on most important issues.
Both parties, therefore, tend to be moderate.

9. The Political Spectrum
Moderate
Conservative
Liberal
Revolutionary
Reactionary
Revolutionary/Radical: Favors extreme change to create an altered or entirely new system.
Liberal: Believes that government must take action to change economic, political, and ideological policies thought to be unfair.
Moderate: Hold beliefs that fall between liberal and conservative views, usually including some of both.
Conservative: Seeks to keep in place the economic, political, and social structures of society.
Reactionary: Favors extreme change to restore society to an earlier, more conservative state of affairs.

11. Multiparty Systems
A system where multiple major and minor parties compete for and win public offices.
Parties are typically based on particular interests
Tend to produce broader, more diverse representation.
Can lead to instability.
Parties must forge a coalition to govern.

13. One-Party Systems Present in many forms of dictatorship.
The party in power eliminates or limits the ability to govern of all other parties.
Fascism
In some ways, portions of the U.S. are one-party systems – the second party is unable to win office.

14. Liberal v. Conservative in the United States

15. “LEFT”
In GENERAL, liberals support…
Making political change
Government intervention
Using taxes to support government programs that benefit society
Government regulation of business to protect the worker/consumer
Extending civil rights to minorities
Using government to reduce inequality
“RIGHT”
In GENERAL, Conservatives…
Oppose making political change.
Oppose government intervention.
Favor tax cuts to stimulate the economy.
Oppose government intervention in the economy, but favor it in matters of lifestyle.
See equality as leading to mediocrity and the leveling of society.

16. Protection of individual rights. Freedom of expression
A unionized workforce to protect the rights of workers
Minimum wage standards
Acting Through The United Nations in International Affairs
Spreading democracy and protecting human rights through humanitarianism.
Favor government action to promote patriotism
Support the freedom of employers to set their workers’ wages.
Acting Unilaterally in International Affairs
Spreading democracy and protecting human rights through military intervention.